Starz launches iPod-incompatible movie service

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Starz launches iPod-incompatible movie service

Cable network Starz is launching a new subscription service that allows users to download full-length movies and watch them on portable video players and computers. The Windows-only service, called Vongo, uses Microsoft digital media technology and does not work with any iPod.

“As a subscription service, Vongo will allow users to download as many movies as they want for $9.95 a month,” reports The New York Times. “They will be able to choose from an ever-changing roster of about 800 movies, including about 300 films in rotation on the Starz cable channel (mainly movies released in theaters one to three years earlier) and 500 older titles.”

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Comments

1

Wow, if it was for iPod it would be good looking into it. I’ll have to remember some of the services out there when I get a portable media player.

Posted by Jonathan Keim on January 3, 2006 at 7:44 AM (PST)

2

Ouch!—oh, wait a minute, that’s why I have Azureus.

Posted by Gordy. in Atlanta, GA on January 3, 2006 at 10:08 AM (PST)

3

Need I say more than Pirate Bay…

Posted by bittorrent on January 3, 2006 at 11:43 AM (PST)

4

Good for them. They recognize that the iPod is not a media center and steered clear of Jobs.

Posted by Hand_Steve on January 3, 2006 at 12:16 PM (PST)

5

Seems a little weird to me. Granted market penetration of the iPod is by and large composed of non-video iPods, but I’d like ot know what the numbers break down in the portable video player market. Certainly, it shouldn’t be iPod specific, but it would be nice to be able to throw some content on the computer, and then pop it over to the iPod for trips. There’s nothing wrong with convergence in my books.

Posted by Will on January 3, 2006 at 11:27 PM (PST)

6

According to Macworld and Vongo, they will support iPods at some time in the future if Apple says they can: http://www.macworld.com/news/2006/01/03/vongomac/index.php

Posted by vertigo25 on January 4, 2006 at 12:25 AM (PST)

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